notting hill travel bookshop scene

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London , London Film Tours · August 16, 2023

A Visit to Notting Hill Travel Bookshop: Everything You Need to Know in 2024

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Looking to recreate your favorite rom-com scene? Here’s my personalized guide and everything you need to know for a visit to the Notting Hill Travel Bookshop. Enjoy!

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We all know the scene. Julia Roberts slow pursue through the Notting Hill Travel Bookshop. Hugh Grant’s infamous eye-turn and blushed slew of book recommendations. The rom-com that hit London lovers by storm has all the nostalgia of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts romance tucked into a quaint bookshop, in you guessed it, Notting Hill. 

If you’re a Notting Hill fan like me and looking to turn your on-screen vicarious romance into real life — the Notting Hill Travel Bookshop is calling your name. Rom-com lovers have flocked from all parts of London (and abroad) to relive the Notting Hill scene. And if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you want to do the same. 

Without further ado here’s everything you need to know about the Notting Hill Travel Bookshop. And to add to your Notting Hill obsession, I’ve popped in some of the movie quotes throughout the blog (definitely not a superfan). 

William : I live in Notting Hill. You live in Beverly Hills. Everyone in the world knows who you are, my mother has trouble remembering my name. Anna Scott : I’m also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. Notting Hill

Where is the Travel Bookshop in Notting Hill? 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Notting Hill Bookshop (@nottinghillbookshop)

The travel bookshop sits pretty right off of Portobello Road at 13 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 2EE. The exteriors are hard to miss, with bright blue exteriors that match Hugh Grant’s infamous blue door (located at 280 Westbourne Park Road). 

How to get to the Travel Bookshop in Notting Hill, London

The Travel bookshop in Notting Hill is around a 10-minute walk from Notting Hill Gate station. One of the easiest ways to reach Notting Hill Gate  (or anywhere in London really) is Citymapper. I rely on it endlessly and if you just pop in “Notting Hill Gate” you’ll get there without a hitch. 

William  :  Would you like something to eat? Something to nibble? Apricots, soaked in honey? Quite why, no one knows, because it stops them tasting like apricots and makes them taste like honey… and if you wanted honey, you could just… buy honey. Instead of apricots. But nevertheless they’re yours if you want them. Notting Hill

When to go & What to buy at the Notting Hill Travel Bookshop

Of course, due to it’s popularity, any time you go has the potential to be crowded. But I’d suggest going in the morning and pairing it a brunch in Notting Hill (Farm Girl Cafe if you’re wondering).

Although the shop originally exclusively sold travel books, they expanded into nearly every area of publishing (though travel is still the main focus). They’ve also got tons of beautiful gifts to get your hands on if you’ve got a super fan waiting at home. So in addition to recapturing your movie moments — I’d definitely suggest buying something while you’re here.

Notting Hill Bookshop Scene

I’m assuming if you’re reading this blog that you’re just as well-versed in this rom-com as I am. But just in case — here’s the bookshop scene. In the movie, Will (Hugh Grant) works in the travel bookshop where he meets Anna (Julia Roberts) a Hollywood Actress from America visiting London for a movie shoot.

As all rom-com’s go, one thing leads to another, they fall in love, the end. But there’s something about the movie and the bookshop that’s timeless. And if you’re a London lover like me, a visit to the Notting Hills Travel Bookshop will give you all the London feels again. 

Anna Scott:   You know what they say about men with big feet William : No, I don’t, actually. What’s that ? Anna Scott : Big feet… large shoes. Notting Hill

A Quick History on the Travel Bookshop, Notting Hill 

Before the bookshops claim to fame the Notting Hill Travel Bookshop was just a charming local bookshop on the streets of West London. The director Richard Curtis used to pass the bookshop all the time, promptly inspiring him for the set of the film. But when asked to use it as the filming location for Notting Hill…they refused.  So he ended up recreating the bookshop on set, and the rest is history.

Although the filming location took place elsewhere the location was quickly recognized as the heart-throb central it was — and thousands of fans flocked to the shop each year for their Notting Hill moment (me very included).  

The store ended up closing in 2011 (after a long campaign to keep it going ). However it was bought by The Book Warehouse after the Travel Bookshop owner Simon Gaul realized his children weren’t interested in continuing the family-business. But the Book Warehouse made sure to keep the spirit of rom-com alive with the Notting Hill odes and the name, The Notting Hill Bookshop.

To clear up some quick confusion for my movie fans — the bookshop in the actual film is called “The Travel Book Company”, but the real store it’s based on was called “The Travel Bookshop”. Glad we got that out the way. 

Anna Scott: Can I stay for a while? William: You can stay forever. Notting Hill

Proposals at the Bookshop

My rom-com heart melted when I found out just how many proposals take place in the bookshop! The owners told press that many couples come to drop on one knee and they even help with the planning process sometimes to make it extra special  (definitely not giving you ideas).

But if you can believe it — people really do come from as far as America (hey!) to Asia and Australia to make their Notting Hill I do’s.

Favorite heart-melting stories include….

• A couple from China having their wedding photos taken inside the shop (goals) 
• A German couple combining Notting Hill and Harry Potter sneaking an engagement ring inside one of the books (I know he got brownie points)
• An American couple coming back to the Notting Hill bookshop for their wedding anniversary (goals…and anniversary goals!)

Oh God, this is one of those key moments in life, when it’s possible you can be really, genuinely cool – and I’m failing 100%. I absolutely and totally and utterly adore you and I think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world and more importantly I genuinely believe and have believed for some time now that we can be best friends. What do YOU think? Honey, Notting Hill

Exploring the Notting Hill Area + Other Film Locations (Market Scene, Blue Door etc.)

If you’re in the Notting Hill area it’d be a waste not to see the rest of the area. Personally, I suggest taking advantage of Portobello Market and popping into a pub like the Churchill Arms. And of course, grabbing a fresh read at the travel bookshop (you know… “just in case browsing turned to buying” ).

If the Notting Hill fandom moves ya, here are all the addresses of the film locations for the movie. 

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to watch Notting Hill for the 11th time. 

Be sure to read up on the best things to do in Notting Hill before your visit —and if love Notting Hill, you’re sure to love Primrose Hill too!

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Entertainment

'Notting Hill' Stans Are Proposing At This IRL Film Location & My Heart Is SO FULL

If you’re just a girl, standing in front of a bookshop, asking if it’s the one from Notting Hill — there’s a chance you’re going to have to fight the crowds to get your romcom fix. The film, which features Hugh Grant as a bumbling bookshop owner in the London neighbourhood, is officially turning twenty next year and fans of the flick still filter in day in and day out to visit the bookshop. One of the shop’s owners revealed that in fact it’s become a popular proposal spot with young lovers cosying up between the bookshelves and dropping to one knee. So, where is the bookshop from Notting Hill ? Well for starters, it goes by a different name IRL.

In the film, the bookshop goes by the name The Travel Book Company and was based on another real store called The Travel Bookshop. The movie wasn't actually filmed in there as apparently the owners told Hollywood to buzz off , Sky reports, but the Notting Hill crew did completely rebuild it for the beloved romance. Sadly, the family-run establishment which served as the original inspiration closed in 2011. However, it was later bought by a company called The Book Warehouse according to Sky and now goes by the name The Notting Hill Bookshop . As a lovely little nod to the film, the back part of the store is still called The Travel Book Co. .

The iconic shop is located just off Portobello Road and the full address is 13 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 2EE.

It’s easily recognisable by its exterior, which is matched to a similar hue to another iconic Notting Hill sight: Hugh Grant’s blue door. (You can also visit that door, which is still blue and always crowded with fans, over at 280 Westbourne Park Road.)

James Malin, one of the owners of The Notting Hill Bookshop, spoke with The Sunday Telegraph ahead of the film’s 20th anniversary. He revealed that loads of tourists visiting London have actually popped in and then popped the question , with many proposals taking place amidst the rare books. Malin and his brother Howard seem like they’re secret romantics themselves, as Malin revealed that occasionally they’ll play a part in making the proposal extra special.

He said, “We have had several [proposals] during the past few years and there’s other people that we are not aware of, like an American couple we didn’t find out about until they returned for their anniversary. We don’t always find out they are proposing, but if they want us to do something special, we will.”

The heartwarming tale of an awkward bookshop owner and international Hollywood star turns out to be a way more universal one than I thought. Malin explained that many travel in from places as far flung as Asia and Australia.

View on Instagram

He said, “We have seen an increase in the past five years but I can’t say why, it’s just a great thing to happen. They come from all over — it’s like a — we’ve had people from Australia, America, China and Japan.”

It sounds like some people have gone above and beyond just dropping to one knee, as he recounted a story of how a Chinese couple showed up to take professional wedding photographs in full regalia.

Another couple from Germany also combined two of my favourite things ( Notting Hill and Harry Potter ) as one of them snuck an engagement ring into the back of a Harry Potter book and surprised his partner with it.

My favourite story though? Apparently one couple actually had their own Julia Roberts/Hugh Grant meet-cute at the shop. I’m seething with jealousy.

Malin said, “A young Chinese couple who met in our shop...came back six months later to tell us they were still together.”

Gah. I’m signing off for the day, a Notting Hill re-viewing is in order.

A Self-Guided Walking Tour of "Notting Hill" Film Locations in London

The 1999 film "Notting Hill" is set in the district of London by the same name where a bookshop owner played by Hugh Grant meets a famous American actress played by Julia Roberts.

If you're taking a trip to England's capital city, you can take a walking tour of locations made famous by this romantic comedy by starting from the Notting Hill Gate tube station . The walk is about two miles long and will take under an hour to complete from start to finish, but you could also spend more time at any of these destinations, so set aside extra time for your trip just in case.

The Print Room (Formerly Coronet Cinema)

At 103 Notting Hill Gate—next to or opposite the Notting Hill Gate tube station (depending on which exit you take)—you'll find the ​ Print Room , which was formerly the Coronet Cinema. This is where the character William (Hugh Grant) watched "Helix," the science fiction short film starring Anna Scott (Julia Roberts).​​​​​

The Coronet opened as a theater in 1898 and was such a well-respected venue that it was where King Edward VII saw a performance and Sir John Gielgud watched his first Shakespeare play. It served as a cinema for the local community for years and was transformed back to a theater in 2010.

If you have the time, you can return here later at night to catch an Off-West End show, a poetry reading, musical performance, or even an educational talk or discussion. 

Bella and Max's House

The next stop on the tour is the home of William's friends Bella, played by Gina Mckee. From the Print Room, walk down Notting Hill Gate towards Holland Park tube station. At Holland Park station, turn right onto Lansdowne Road then walk until you come to 91 Lansdowne Road on your right.

In the film, William surprises his younger sister, Honey Thacker, and her partner Bernie (Hugh Bonneville) by bringing the famous Anna to Honey's birthday party at Gina's house. William and Anna wind up leaving the party rather intoxicated, laughing as they ventured out into the neighborhood. You can snap a quick picture in front of the building before continuing to follow the pair back into the neighborhood.

Rosmead Gardens

Right around the corner, you can take in excellent views of  Rosmead Gardens , where Anna and William first stumbled drunkenly after leaving Gina's house. Simply turn around and make your first right onto Rosmead Road.

Anna and William break into these private communal garden, but while the movie may have made it appear like a good idea to break into these gardens, it's best to just observe them from the road. Not only is it illegal to trespass on this private property, but if you try to climb over the wall like Hugh Grant, there is a pretty big drop from the railings on the other side and you could get injured.

Rosmead Gardens is part of the Ladbroke Estate, which includes other nearby private gardens: Arundel Gardens and St. John's. Despite looking like a small park, these private gardens are owned and maintained by the local residents, who are the only people with keys for access.

Portobello Road Market

From the gardens, head back to the left along Lansdowne Road, past Gina's house, and make a left onto Ladbroke Grove (the first left). Walk up a block to Elgin Crescent, make a right, then continue two blocks before making another right onto Portobello Road.

This section of the street is known as Portobello Road Market , which is one of the most famous street markets in the world. With markets held six days a week—including the popular Saturday antique sale—Portobello Road Market is a great way to spend the afternoon even if you're not a fan of the "Notting Hill" film.

In the opening scene of the movie, Hugh Grant is seen walking down Portobello Road Market on his way to his bookshop, The Travel Book Company.

The Travel Bookshop

For fans of the film, in particular, the Travel Book Shop is a must-see destination on the walking tour and is less than a block from where you turn onto Portobello Road from Elgin Crescent.

This spot at 142 Portobello Road was used as the location for William Thacker's (Hugh Grant's) Travel Book Shop in the movie, but there has never been a bookshop there. It was formerly the Nicholls Antique Arcade, then a furniture store called Gong, and it currently serves as a gift shop. There is a sign on the building, though, for "The Travel Book Shop" that has remained in place since filming took place in 1998. 

The fictional bookstore in the film was also based on the real Travel Bookshop nearby (13 Blenheim Crescent), which you can get to by turning back down Portobello Road, walking past Elgin Crescent, and making a left on Blenheim Crescent. The original Travel Bookshop closed in 2011 but has since reopened as the Notting Hill Bookshop.

The Blue Door (William's Flat)

For the next stop, continue up Portobello Road to the left from the Notting Hill Bookshop, past Saint's Tattoo Parlour where a confused man in the movie stumbles out with a tattoo of "I Love Ken" but no recollection of why he got it. The next road, Westbourne Park Road, is where you'll find the famous blue door that leads to William's flat in the film.

The house was once owned by the movie's screenplay writer, Richard Curtis. The blue door was incredibly popular and many people came to write their name on it, but the original was removed and sold at auction at Christie's. It was replaced with a black door to not attract so much attention, but time has moved on and the current owners have kindly painted the door blue again.

The property is valued in the multi-millions and is actually a converted chapel with huge windows and ornate church features, thus nothing like the studio set used for the interior scenes in the movie. You can't see any of this from the street though, but you can snap a quick photograph in front of the new blue door.

Coffee Shop

Once you've snapped a photograph, head back across Portobello Road to the opposite corner, where you'll find a chain coffee shop called CoffeeBello. In the film, there was a small cafe next door with tables and chairs on the sidewalk, but now it's a hair salon.

This is where William buys a glass of orange juice and then bumps into Anna on the corner, spilling the juice on her. He then explains he lives just across the road and suggests they go there to get cleaned up.

Tony's Restaurant

From the coffee shop on the corner, continue down Portobello Road the way you were heading before stopping at the blue door. You'll pass under The Westway then turn right onto Golborne Road to arrive at 105 Golborne Road, where you'll find the location of Tony's Restaurant in the film.

Now an art store and gift shop called Portfolio, this location in the film was owned by William Thacker's friend Tony (Richard McCabe). The aptly-named Tony's Restaurant was deemed a failure, but Tony and his friend Bernie played "Blue Moon" on the piano on the night it closed in the film.

Ending the Walking Tour

From here you could walk along Portobello Road all the way back to Notting Hill Gate, although Ladbroke Grove tube station or Westbourne Park tube stations are both closer. Alternatively, you could continue up Golborne Road and take a walk along the Grand Union Canal.

To reach the canal, walk up Golborne Road and continue straight ahead, passing Trellick Tower on your right. When the road bends to the left and becomes Kensal Road, head onto the canal path next to Meanwhile Gardens. Turn right and in about 20 minutes you'll reach Little Venice where you could consider doing the Little Venice to Camden Walk.

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Fanspot The Travel Book Shop

“Happiness isn’t happiness without a violin-playing goat.” Anna Scott (Julia Roberts)

When filming begins, director Roger Michell fears that the arrival of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts on Portobello Road will cause a riot. Nevertheless, the security service works miracles and everything goes on as planned.

Cult! movies: 100 mythical places of cinema [French Edition]

Want to know more about this location and its connection to Notting Hill ? Find the whole story and 99 others in the book Cult! cinema !

The bookstore run by William Thacker, Hugh Grant’s character, becomes the epicenter of the production. While the team takes up residence in a store that they have to make up as a bookstore, the inspiration for the project comes from a real bookstore, based around the corner. The store in question, called The Travel Book Shop, refused the presence of the cameras, so Roger Michell had to content himself with reproducing the decor in another room.

The shop closed in 2011, following the increase in rents in this very popular area. The owners have moved to 13 Blenheim Crescent. Fun fact: the travel book section is still called The Travel Book Shop.

The first version of the film lasted 210 minutes. Almost 90 minutes were thus cut off.

The Travel Bookshop

The Travel Book Shop is not really a bookstore but a souvenir store. Even if the sign might suggest otherwise.

When director Roger Michell sets up his cameras in the little store at 142 Portobello Road, it is occupied by a store called Nicholls Antique Arcade. Later, the Gong sign sold furniture and eventually gave way to the souvenir shop. However, the owners decided to capitalize on the success of Notting Hill by putting the sign from the movie above their store. The perfect place to buy trinkets and other objects with the image of London.

The Fantrippers Buying Board

London's guide to the 1000 cult locations for films, series, music, comics and novels

Are you going to LONDON? Are you fans of series, movies, comics, music, novels? This guide is for you!

Harry Potter, James Bond, Bridget Jones, The Persuaders!, Black Mirror, The Crown, Dr Who, Mister Bean, Monty Python, Sherlock Holmes, Blake and Mortimer, The Beatles, David Bowie, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Dracula, Oliver Twist…

With more than 1000 cult locations for movies, TV series, music, comics, novels, the London Fantrippers Guide offers an unusual and unique travel experience through more than 1000 places of cult fiction specially selected for you.

It’s the bible of pop culture in the British capital!

With its three ways of consulting, discover London:

• by neighborhoods by immediately visualizing the right addresses around you
• by themes (bars, restaurants, shopping, gluttony, culture …) for a tailor-made outing according to your desires
• by works (cinema, TV series, music, comics, novels) to find the places of your favorite heroes and heroines.

After New York and Paris, this third book in the collection is enriched by a new model, a revised pagination (640 pages) and for the first time original film journeys (Harry Potter, James Bond, Alfred Hitchcock, romantic comedies, superheroes), series (God save the Queen, detective series, humor series, Dr Who), music (The Beatles, the Britpop, Icones 60-70 , pop, punk), comics (Blake and Mortimer, From Hell, superhero), Victorian London, thriller, Jack The Ripper, Sherlock Holmes.

Discover all the places Notting Hill on our map

By Gilles Rolland

Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.

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Home > Films > N > Notting Hill

Friday April 26th 2024

Notting Hill | 1999

• Locations |
• Roger Michell
• Hugh Grant,
• Julia Roberts,
• Rhys Ifans,
• Alec Baldwin,
• Gina McKee,
• Tim McInnerny,
• Richard McCabe,
• Hugh Bonneville,
• Emily Mortimer,
• John Shrapnel,
• Henry Goodman
• LONDON locations
• ▶ Notting Hill, 142 Portobello Road, W11 ( used as the 'travel bookshop' )
• ▶ 303 Westbourne Park Road, W11 ( little coffee shop where William gets coffee and orange juice )
• ▶ 280 Westbourne Park Road, W11 ( the 'Blue Door' of the flat William shares with Spike )
• ▶ 201 Portobello Road, W11 ( was Saints Tattoo Parlour, since closed )
• ▶ The Coronet Theatre, 103 Notting Hill, W11 ( was the Coronet Cinema where William watches the sci-fi film )
• ▶ Nobu, 19 Old Park Lane, W1 ( William and Anna at the Japanese restaurant )
• ▶ Portfolio, 105 Golborne Road, W10 ( used as Tony's failing restaurant )
• ▶ 91 Lansdowne Road, W11 ( William takes Anna to the birthday party )
• ▶ Rosmead Gardens, Rosmead Road, W11 ( the private communal garden into which William and Anna trespass )
• ▶ Ritz Hotel, 150 Piccadilly, W1 ( William passes himself of as a reporter at Anna's hotel )
• ▶ Kenwood House, Hampstead Lane, NW3 ( Anna Scott making period movie )
• ▶ Savoy Hotel, 1 Savoy Hill, Strand, WC2 ( William proposes at Anna's press conference )
• ▶ Zen Garden of The Hempel Collection, 31-35 Craven Hill Gardens, W2 ( wedding reception )
• ▶ Empire Leicester Square, 5-6 Leicester Square, WC2d ( the final movie premiere )

The famous blue door in Notting Hill must be one of the most famous British film locations ever to grace the screen. Who could have predicted that?

The team behind Four Weddings and a Funeral follows up that unexpected smash with another Transatlantic romance as mega-movie star Anna Scott ( Julia Roberts ) falls for mild-mannered English bookseller William Thacker ( Hugh Grant ).

The title is the setting, though the famously cosmopolitan locale seems to have been ethnically cleansed: this is the whitest Notting Hill you’ll ever see.

During the Fifties, Notting Hill in West London was bedsit-land – cheap, rundown accommodation for immigrants mainly from the West Indies, and became the site of notorious race riots when locals clashed with racist Teddy Boys.

It was the setting for 'social issue' movies such as Michael Winner ’s 1963 West 11 (named after the area's now-prestigious postcode) and Bryan Forbes ' 1962 The L-Shaped Room (abortion, racism, prostitution...), before the street market of Portobello Road became a staple of Swinging Sixties movies.

The famous market was featured in films such as The Italian Job ( Michael Caine 's pad was just off the northern end of the road) and comedy spy thriller Otley . Caine also lived nearby as Cockney womaniser Alfie , and burned-out rockstar Mick Jagger retreated here in Nicolas Roeg - Donald Cammell 's landmark Performance at the end of the decade. More recently, 'Gruber’s’ antique shop was found on Portobello Road in 2014's Paddington .

The market provides the heart of the film. It's in the top ten of London 's tourist attractions – a fact you'll appreciate if you visit at the weekend, but that really is the time to see it. On weekdays, locals buy fruit and veg here. Second-hand goods are included on Friday but on Saturdays the road is packed for the famous antiques stalls.

Started in the 1860s, it's been busy ever since, becoming – along with Carnaby Street and the King's Road, Chelsea – one of the centres of the Swinging London phenomenon in the 60s. Sometimes on Portobello it feels like the 60s never went away.

* For more background, see our YouTube documentary film Notting Hill: More Than Just the Blue Door .

▶ But there is no ‘Travel Book Company’ on Portobello Road , the down-at-heel shop owned by William Thacker. At the time of filming, the store was Nicholls Antique Arcade, which went on to become furniture store Gong, and is now a gift shop/souvenir store. Sensibly it's called – yes – Notting Hill , 142 Portobello Road (and rather cheekily replicates the film title’s typeface and colour scheme). Somewhat misleadingly, the shop-owners have also added an additional sign reading 'The Travel Book Shop'. ⏏

The real Travel Bookshop, on which William’s establishment was based, was around the corner. This really was called The Travel Bookshop, 13-15 Blenheim Crescent , just off Portobello, but rising costs in the area (ironically bumped up by the success of the film) and the continued rise of online selling meant that the shop closed its doors in 2011. It has since reopened as The Notting Hill Bookshop , at 13 Blenheim Crescent .

▶ Coffee Shop, which stood at 303 Westbourne Park Road , was the little – yes, you guessed it – coffee shop, where William gets the coffee and orange juice he spills at the beginning of the film. And, yes, this little independent business has since closed down. Next door, on the corner of Westbourne Park and Portobello Road , was the empty property outside which he bumps into Anna Scott. It became – a branch of Coffee Republic, and is now Coffeebello . ⏏

▶ A few yards away, across Portobello Road, at 280 Westbourne Park Road is William Thacker's flat. The rundown bedsit interior was a studio set and bore no resemblance whatsoever to what actually lay behind the famous blue door. This was actually home to the screenwriter Richard Curtis .

Rather than the homely mess of a flat which confronted Anna Scott, the converted chapel boasted a courtyard garden, a 1,000-square-foot reception room and a galleried mezzanine. Shortly after filming it was put on the market for £1.3 million, which must make Notting Hill the most expensive (not to say successful) real estate ad ever. Shortly after finding fame, the famous door was removed and auctioned off for charity, to be replaced by a rather anonymous black one. But you’ll be thrilled to know that, yes, at last it has been repainted to reclaim its iconic status. ⏏

▶ Saints Tattoo Parlour, 201 Portobello Road , was the store from which the guy who got drunk and now can’t remember why he chose a tattoo reading ‘I love Ken’ emerges, under the opening credits. It was also the ‘Brighton’ tattoo parlour peeked into by Bella ( Lia Williams ) in Michael Winner ’s film of Helen Zahavi ’s Dirty Weekend . The premises now houses Saint Marc clothes store. ⏏

▶ The Coronet Cinema was where William watches Helix , the sci-fi movie starring Anna Scott, but short on both horses and hounds. The cinema has closed but the premises has been restored to its original function as a live theatre, The Coronet Theatre , 103 Notting Hill Gate at Hillgate Street, W11 . ⏏

The scene where he watches a film in swimming goggles was shot in the screening room of BAFTA.

▶ Afterwards William and Anna enjoy a meal at Nobu , 19 Old Park Lane , the dizzyingly expensive Japanese restaurant of the Como Metropolitan Hotel , Old Park Lane, W1 . ⏏

▶ At the other end of the scale, the failed restaurant of William’s friend, Tony ( Richard McCabe ), is Portfolio , an art store on the corner of Golborne Road and Bevington Road, W10 at the northern reach of Portobello Road market. Previously an art gallery, it also became an eaterie – Brad Dourif ’s diner – in a film which took a totally different look at the area, writer Hanif Kureishi ’s 1991 directorial debut London Kills Me . Incidentally, it’s right opposite the flat shared by Tim and Mary in Richard Curtis ’s 2013 About Time . ⏏

▶ 91 Lansdowne Road is the home of Bella and Max ( Gina McKee and Tim McInnerny ), where William surprises everyone with his megastar date at the birthday party, and Anna surprises Bernie ( Hugh Bonneville ) with the salary from her last acting job. ⏏

▶ The private communal gardens, into which Anna and William break at night (“Whoops a daisy!”), is Rosmead Gardens, Rosmead Road, W11 . The gate has been slightly remodelled since filming (the arch has gone) and the ivy which prevented any glimpse of the gardens from outside has been removed.

Don't even think about trying to get in – it's a fiercely private garden, and the drop from the fence is nastier than it appears on film. The bench on which Anna and William sit was simply a prop for the film and doesn't remain.

If you really want to visit the serenely peaceful garden, which is much larger than you may imagine, once a year London hosts an Open Garden Squares Weekend . You'll need to check ahead which gardens are open to the public. ⏏

And outside Notting Hill itself, there’s no shortage of London landmarks to seduce the US tourist dollar.

▶ Anna Scott stays at the Ritz Hotel , 150 Piccadilly, W1 , an establishment which rarely permits filming inside, but on this occasion gave unprecedented co-operation to the film company, as William passes himself off as a reporter from Horse and Hound . ⏏

▶ The site of the Henry James period movie shoot is Kenwood House , Hampstead Lane, NW3 , on Hampstead Heath , north London . The Robert Adam -designed mansion, once home to Lord Mansfield , houses the Iveagh Bequest of old master paintings, and, amazingly, entry is free. The house crops up in another Roger Michell movie – again as a period movie set – in Venus , for which Peter O'Toole was Oscar nominated. In Patricia Rozema 's 1999 film of Jane Austen ’s Mansfield Park it appears as ‘Southerton’. ⏏

▶ William publicly proposes to Anna at her press conference, held in the Lancaster Room of the Savoy Hotel , 1 Savoy Hill , on the Strand .

The famous art deco Savoy was also featured in The French Lieutenant's Woman , The Long Good Friday , Entrapment and more recently it was where Nicolas Cage stayed in National Treasure: Book of Secrets . ⏏

▶ This is rom-com world, so naturally, Anna Scott accepts the proposal. The outdoors wedding reception is held in the beautiful Zen Garden of designer Anouska Hempel ’s since-closed minimalist boutique Hempel Hotel, 31-35 Craven Hill Gardens, W2 (the garden stands opposite the hotel entrance) in Bayswater . ⏏

▶ The final movie première is, of course, held in the heart of London 's West End , at what is now the Cineworld Cinema , on the north side of Leicester Square, WC2 . We don't really see much of the cinema, but behind the couple, can you see the statue of William Shakespeare in the centre of the Square? ⏏

Visit The Film Locations

Uk | london.

Flights: Heathrow Airport ; Gatwick Airport

Visit: London

Travelling : Transport For London

Stay at: the Savoy Hotel , 1 Savoy Hill, Strand, London WC2R 0EU ( tel: 020.7836.4343 )

Visit: the Ritz Hotel , 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR ( tel: 020.7493.8181 )

Visit: The Coronet Theatre , 103 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3LB ( tel: 020.3642.6606 )

Visit: Kenwood House , Hampstead Lane, London NW3 7JR ( tel: 0370.333.1181 )

Dine at: at Nobu , Metropolitan by COMO, London, 19 Old Park Lane, London W1K 1LB ( tel: 020.7447.4747 )

The Ultimate Guide to Notting Hill

By: Author Elle Croft

Categories Insider's Guide , London , London , UK

Remember that scene in Hugh Grant’s failing travel bookshop, when Julia Roberts tells him that she’s ‘just a girl standing in front of a boy, telling him that she loves him’? It was this film, named after and set in Notting Hill, that brought a small area in West London into the world spotlight in 1999. Although the film may be a little dated, Notting Hill – the place – remains a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike. Every Saturday the streets burst with bustling markets, and once a year the neighbourhood comes alive with the vibrant Caribbean Notting Hill Carnival.

Whether it’s your first visit or your hundredth, you’ll always find something new in and around Notting Hill. So no matter what you’re looking for: antiques, food, filming locations or just some good old people watching, here’s the ultimate guide to Notting Hill:

• The easiest way to reach Notting Hill from London is by tube. Jump on the Central line and get off at Notting Hill Gate
• Visit on a Saturday
• Arrive early (any later than 11 and you’ll regret it)
• Travel in the direction of the crowds (from Notting Hill Gate to Ladbroke Grove tube station)
• Explore beyond Portobello Road
• Look past the surface of stores (and don’t forget to look up!)
• Do your research before buying antiques…they’re often more expensive on Portobello Road than in other antique stores.

Don’t rush to Portobello Road

From Notting Hill Gate tube station to Chepstow Villas: Don’t be in too much of a hurry to get to the main section of the markets or you’ll miss some of the best antique and second-hand shops, character-filled pubs, beautiful houses and even a Banksy (or perhaps just Banksyesque) piece. Instead of getting swept up with the crowds, take some time to stop in the shops along Pembridge Road and the first stretch of Portobello Road. My favourite is Hirst Antiques, the windows of which are positively dripping in jewels. Look out for incredible designer pieces among the piles of bling.

To get your antique fix

From Chepstow Villas to Elgin Crescent: This is the main antique section, with arcade after arcade begging you to come inside and explore. Don’t be fooled by the miniscule exteriors – when you walk in, these arcades open up into mini-marketplaces with myriad stalls of tempting treasures. On the street you’ll find stands selling antiques, collectibles, trinkets and straight up junk. As Hugh Grant said in Notting Hill, some are genuine, some not quite so genuine. While we’re thinking about that famous film, see if you can recognise the location of William Thacker’s travel bookshop (currently, at last check, a fairly average gift shop).

Insider tip: take note of Negozio Classica, a great Italian wine bar to stop at on the way home.

Grab a bite to eat

From Elgin Crescent to Cambridge Gardens: Here you’ll find food – fresh fruit and veg, incredible street food and a selection of delicious restaurants. There are also flowers, a smattering of antiques and the occasional stall selling the most bizarre selection of items that I’m not even sure how to categorize them. If you’re hungry for lunch, I highly recommend the paella, which is probably the best in London. Caffeine hunters should check out Coffee Plant, a painfully hip cafe serving the best coffee on Portobello Road. But if you’re looking for a meal that you can enjoy in a more relaxed setting, don’t miss the French-American Electric Dinner where you’ll enjoy some fabulous people-watching if you can get a table outside.

Insider tip: Although the location of The Travel Bookshop is further up the road, the real store that inspired its fictional counterpart can be found on Blenheim Crescent (turn left just after Electric Cinema). Stop for a photo at The Notting Hill Bookshop, and invest in a book or two while you’re there (have you got any Winnie the Pooh?)

Take a look around

From Cambridge Gardens to Ladbroke Grove tube station: This is where the Portobello Road crowds begin to thin a little. Instead of antiques or food, here you’ll tend to find second-hand clothes and hand-crafted accessories. If you’re done for the day, you can jump on the tube at Ladbroke Grove station, but I recommend heading back the way you came instead. Don’t stick to Portobello Road though; take some time to explore the backstreets – my favourite is Westbourne Grove, home to the delicious deli cafe Ottolenghi which serves sweet and savoury treats you won’t be able to resist.

No matter how much you manage to see, do, buy and eat in Notting Hill, there’s always more to try next time. It’s just one of the reasons why Notting Hill is one of the best parts of London to explore.

Have you been to Notting Hill? What would you add to my list?

Pin this for later: 

Saturday 3rd of October 2015

Great! I have a photo with the bookshop and I bought some cool stuff at Portobello road market:)

Thursday 27th of August 2015

As a film and travel blogger I feel ashamed that I haven't been to Notting Hill yet, and it looks like there are so many other things to see and do in that area too. It's safely on my UK travel bucket list now!

I love the Notting Hill market too. I'm not 100% sure but the Travel Bookshop may have closed?

Anne Slater-Brooks

Tuesday 25th of August 2015

I absolutely need to share this with my hubbie who I often find secretly watching Notting Hill! I swear to God he must have seen it around ten times.

This may just inspire him to go explore the actual place!

Claire Robinson

I've never explored Notting Hill - but I love, love, love this post and will use it on my next trip to London! Thanks :)

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13 Notting Hill Filming Locations in London (with map)

Notting Hill starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts is a classic rom-com that takes place between an English bookshop owner and a Hollywood actress. The whole film takes place in London – primarily, as the name would suggest, Notting Hill. We’ve got the low down on where all the filing locations are in the city so you can visit them on your next trip to London!

The Travel Bookshop 

The most iconic location in this London rom-com film is William Thacker’s bookshop – where William meets Anna Scott, the famous actress for the first time. You can find the exterior for this at 142 Portobello Road. 

Whilst the sign outside says ‘Notting Hill Bookshop’ the inside is just a souvenir shop today. 

The Inspiration for the Bookshop

The inside of the bookshop was filmed at Shepperton Studios, but the inspiration and layout came from the real Notting Hill Bookshop which stands at 13 Blenheim Crescent (just a short walk from the frontage used in the film).

This is one of London’s best independent bookshops and it does get super busy at weekends!

Having met Anna, William (Hugh Grant) takes a stroll to his local coffee shop which was located at 303 Westbourne Park Road. Where he ultimately ends up spilling a drink all over Anna – requiring her to come back to his flat.

William Thacker’s Flat

Another filming spot located in Notting Hill itself is William Thacker’s flat with its infamous blue door. This can be found at 280 Westbourne Park Road. Do remember that this is a private residence so be respectful when visiting this location. 

One of London’s most famous hotels, The Ritz, is where Anna stays during her visit to the city. This is where Will pretends to be a journalist from Horse & Hound and runs an interview with the actress that is overlooked by her team.

Bella & Max’s House

Will takes Anna on a date to his sister’s birthday dinner, hosted by their friends Bella and Max. Their house is located at 91 Lansdowne Road. This is a private residence so if you plan to take a look please be respectful.

Private Gardens

One of our favourite London scenes from Notting Hill is when Anna and Will break into Rosmead Gardens to frolic around. London is full of lovely private gardens that those lucky enough to live on have access to – but the rest of us do not. Whilst you cannot enter Rosmead you can see the outside of them.

The Japanese restaurant that Anna and Will eat at is Nobu, which is located at 19 Park Lane. In this scene Anna confronts some rude tourists.

The Coronet Cinema

William visits a cinema in Notting Hill, The Coronet, to see Anna Scot’s sci-fi film. Whilst here he wallows in his pity at having lost Anna. This cinema is located at 103 Notting Hill Gate and is now a theatre – if you want a look inside check out what The Coronet Theatre has showing during your visit to London.

The Failed Restaurant

To discuss his unlucky love life, William Thacker heads to his friend’s failed restaurant. Tony’s Restaurant was never real, but the exterior can be found at 105 Golborne Road. Today it is a shop.

Anna’s Filming Location: Kenwood House 

Months after William loses Anna, she is back in London once again to shoot a Henry James movie. The filming location for this is the stunning Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath. This is where the couple once again are reunited. Kenwood House is free to visit and we certainly recommend you do! Their cafe is also really lovely here!

Anna’s Press Conference

One of the final scenes in Notting Hill is Anna’s press conference, where William Thacker once again poses as a journalist to get in. The conference is held in the Lancaster Room at The Savoy hotel. Will ultimately proposed to Anna, before the film ends with their wedding.

Leicester Square Film Premiere

The movie ends with Anna being escorted by William to one of her film premieres which takes place in Leicester Square.

Map of Notting Hill Filming Locations

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The heartbreaking true story of the bookshop that inspired the Notting Hill film

The Travel Bookshop was actually a real place

• 12:42, 19 AUG 2020

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Movie enthusiasts across the world have travelled the streets of West London in search of the beloved travel bookshop that featured in the iconic film, Notting Hill.

The quaint book store known in the film as The Travel Book Company was owned by Will, Hugh Grant's character, and it was actually based on a real Notting Hill book store.

The real book store, called The Travel Bookshop was the inspiration for the 1999 classic but to the upset of Notting Hill fans, it sadly closed in 2011 after a hard fought campaign.

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The family run shop on Blenheim Crescent, just off Portobello Road , opened in 1979 and was frequented by Notting Hill film director Richard Curtis which led to the inspiration for the film.

Although the movie wasn't actually filmed in the West London store, its interior design provided the arrangement for the on set replica. But after 32 long years in business, the store fell on hard times and found itself on the brink of closure in 2011.

Several writers and actors launched a campaign to reverse the closure and the save the specialist book store.

Poet, Olivia Cole led the way in 2011 even offering to volunteer at the store saying in the Guardian: "It’s an amazing specialist bookshop and it has the Notting Hill novelty but it is the same sad story that we’re seeing in high streets all over the country.

"Loads of independent bookshop are having a bad time."

Actor, Alec Baldwin who played Julia Roberts' boyfriend in the film was also in support of the campaign calling for it to be saved. However, the iconic store, which helped Notting Hill gross more than £220 million, closed for good in 2011.

However, like a phoenix rising rising from the ashes, the store was bought back to life after being purchased by The Book Warehouse. It's in the same location on Blenheim Crescent as the original store but now goes by the name, The Notting Hill Bookshop, no longer operating as a specialist travel book shop.

The last owner of The Travel Bookshop said in The Bookseller: "'Book warehouses are just that; a place where remaindered books, cards, calendars, magazines etc are found.

"Worthy though such enterprises are, 'The Book Warehouse Notting Hill' has no association whatsoever - despite its occupying a part of the old location of The Travel Bookshop - with that 30+ year-old enterprise."

Many Notting Hill fans still visit the Notting Hill Bookshop, with some lovebirds even proposing in the romantic spot. So although The Travel Bookshop is no more, its legacy of romance and mystery still lives on in West London.

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I founded the Travel Bookshop in 1979; it was run privately for more than 30 years. Nestled between the local art galleries, eateries and the many retro and avant-garde boutiques of Notting Hill, it offered a cornucopia for travelling readers. So enticing was this bookshop, it was chosen as the main setting and inspiration for the 1998 film Notting Hill starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts .

I was often asked why I had started the shop and so here is the story behind it … Almost my first job had been in a bookshop – WJ Bryce in Museum Street near the British Museum. I LOVED working there although I was only paid £7 a week. After about 2 years I left to go travelling and when I came back (having been round the world and having lived in New York), I had a bad skiing accident. There is nothing like being unable to move to give you time to think. I decided to go to university and got accepted to read Chinese at SOAS – after that 4 year course I still wasn’t qualified to do anything so I mentioned to somebody that when I retired I would like to have my own bookshop. They looked at me and asked ‘Retire from what, Sarah?’ and ‘If you want to do something, do it now.’ Good advice. I decided to specialise in travel and was the first shop to arrange the books under country – so that I had function side by side with guides and histories etc. Although it still might not have gone ahead – as I went to the US for a holiday – tod people of my plans – and they all told me what a great idea it was, but they also warned me that when I got back to the UK – people would say ‘Don’t do it.’ That’s exactly what happened – but geared up by the American ‘can do’ philosophy – I went ahead. I opened in Abingdon Road in Kensington and in late 1981 moved myself and the shop to Blenheim Crescent – where the shop, now known as the Notting Hill Bookshop, flourishes. All of this and more can be read about in my autobiography Halfway to Venus – now available as an e-book.

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‘Notting Hill’ at 20: Why Julia Roberts Was the Only Choice to Play Anna

By Susan King

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The manager of London’ Notting Hill Bookshop has a ready supply of Kleenex because so many of the patrons walk in and break into tears.

From 1979-2011, the store was known as the Travel Bookshop. It became famous in “Notting Hill,” the hit romantic comedy celebrating its 20th anniversary on May 28. Julia Roberts stars as Anna Scott, the world’s biggest movie star, and Hugh Grant as Will Thacker, the divorced owner of the bookshop, who meet cute and fall in love.

The actual store was too narrow and small to film there, said manager Olga Lewkowska, so a set was built around the corner from the store, which is located at 4 Blenheim Crescent. The original owner sold the store in 2011 because its focus was too narrow to sustain. The bookshop does still have a travel section but basically features gift books, limited editions or reprints of first editions.

“I don’t think we have had anyone from Greenland in, but I think I’ve met people from every country,” said Lewkowska. “I had a couple from Argentina maybe a month ago come in and the woman was in complete tears. The husband said they watched this film on their first date 20 years ago and got married quite soon after.”

And many couples become engaged in the store. “Sometimes we don’t find out until afterward,” said Lewkowska, who noted she is not a rom-com person. “People send us a card. Every now and then someone says I want to come in with my girlfriend and can you play our favorite song? And I’ll go down on my knee. “

A few months ago, even she started crying. “We have a little sign where we write various quotes,” she explained. A man from Slovakia called the shop and asked if Lewkowska could write “Will you marry me?” in Slovak and then he would come in with his girlfriend and point at the board and propose. “They came early in the morning. She had no idea anything like this would happen. He gently pointed to the sign and she broke out in tears. I broke out in tears when she started crying.”

The bookshop isn’t the only location fans visit in Notting Hill. They also stop at the house with the blue door at 280 Westbourne Park Road where Will lived in the movie.

“I was walking by last week and there was literally a queue outside the blue door,” said “Notting Hill” screenwriter Richard Curtis , who used to live with his family behind the blue door before he sold it to his sister-in-law.

She sold the original door on Christie’s for charity — it’s currently located in Devon. Because there were so many tourists, the second blue door was painted black. “Then somebody sprayed over the door ‘This is the blue door,'” said Tim McInnerny, who plays Will’s best mate, Max.

After that, the door was repainted blue.

Though Notting Hill was becoming gentrified during production in 1998, Curtis admitted that the film’s success sped up the process.

“I wish I’d been clever enough to buy somewhere in Notting Hill before the movie came out,“ quipped McInnerny. “It would have doubled in price within a year. It did amazing things for the retail value.”

Allcia Malone, a TCM host and author of “Backwards and in Heels: The Past, Present and Future of Women Working in Film,” believes that though the film is “such a fantasy,” there is a real underlying heartfelt emotion and it feels “like it could be somewhat of a reality.”

“Of course, the chemistry between Roberts and Grant,” said Malone, “is so perfect and wonderfully matched. It’s a really sweet story and that big moment when Julia Roberts says she’s just a girl standing in front of a boy. That’s delivered so perfectly, that it really touches your heart. It feels emotionally true. She’s just this sweet girl underneath it all.”

That famous scene was celebrated in the penultimate episode of “The Big Bang Theory.”

Though Curtis has written the beloved romantic comedies “Notting Hill,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Love Actually,” he joked that “I failed the big romantic test of asking my girlfriend to marry me.”  But he and his partner Emma Freud have been together nearly 30 years and have four children.

“When I was a little boy I started falling in love with girls,” he said, adding that the girl he was in love with 62 years ago attended at the London premiere the day before of his newest film, “Yesterday.” “She is now my daughter’s godmother.”

He also fell madly in love at the age of seven with a little girl he met on the bus. “I think people like movies that are about things that are very, very deep in their bones. Obviously, I got struck by the love bug.”

He began ruminating on the idea for “Notting Hill” during a break in “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” But the real genesis was his weekly dinners with friends who became the inspiration for Will’s good friends — Max, his wheelchair-using wife (Gina McKee), his sweetly eccentric sister (Emma Chambers) and his clueless friend (Hugh Bonneville) — whom he invites Anna to meet.

“There was one who has never heard of anybody famous and then other one was Helen Fielding, who wrote ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ and knew everybody. I used to imagine what would it be like if I drove down [to their house] with Madonna — how would the dinner party go? The two friends who were hosting the party would have no idea who she was, and Helen would just be screaming with excitement and definitely try to make Madonna her best friend.”

Roberts was the one and only choice of Curtis and director Roger Michell to play Anna — but what would have happened if she hadn’t accepted?

“I don’t like to consider that,” he said laughing.

“Notting Hill” is often called an homage to 1953’s “Roman Holiday,” for which Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for playing a princess who slips out while visiting the Eternal City and falls in love with a newspaper reporter (Gregory Peck).

But the theory isn’t true.

“We had a meeting with Julia and her agent when she first agreed to do the part,” Curtis recalled. “As they were leaving, her agent said it’s such a beautiful tribute to ‘Roman Holiday.’ I hadn’t seen ‘Roman Holiday.’ Thank god I hadn’t because I might have been self-conscious. I am very glad I didn’t know.“

Originally, they were looking for an unknown actor to play Will. “We thought, wouldn’t it be fabulous — this is a movie about an unknown. We auditioned eight people over a day and by the end of it we said, ‘Oh f–k, it. Let’s go with Hugh.”

What Curtis learned from “Four Weddings and a Funeral” director Mike Newell is that when a movie is cast, the work is “75% done. So, he was unbelievably thorough for even the smallest part. Roger Michell, coming from theater, was exactly the same. So, we tended to spend an unrealistic amount of time casting the movie especially those friends. We wanted to get the right people.”

“We had two weeks’ rehearsals,” said McInnerny. “That’s really important. Julia was there all the time. You can’t invent knowing somebody for 20 years. You have to be together and understand each other’s sense of humor so that you can play with each other on the set and trust each other.”

That trust was especially important when McInnerny had to carry McGee up the stairs. “We did that 19 times. The shot didn’t quite work. I wouldn’t be able to do it now. But I loved working with Gina. We had such a good time.”

McInnerny says he will love Roberts forever because of the kindness she showed his mother at the London premiere.

“I was talking to Julia,” he recalled. “She said to me, ‘So, who have you brought here?’ I said, “I brought my sister and my brother-in-law and a couple of friends and my mom.’ She said, ‘Your mom? I want to meet her.’ I took her to meet my mom who’s sitting in a big chair. She sat on the arm of my mom’s chair and told me to go away. She talked to my mom for 25 minutes.”

When he asked his mother what Roberts had to say, his mother said, “It’s private!”

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Secrets About Notting Hill

Making an Entrance

The whole Notting Hill neighborhood, while already increasingly trendy when the film was shot, became, as Hugh Grant put it, "a hell of a lot trendier" once the movie came out.

The house on Westbourne Park Road that boasted the blue door that served as the front door to Will's flat used to be owned by Richard Curtis —and of course it became a pilgrimage site for the movie's fans.

In fact, so many people scrawled their own autograph on the door, it was eventually removed and auctioned off at Christie's, but another blue door lives on in its place. (The new owner was nice enough to paint it blue.)

Meanwhile, the inside of Will's flat was a studio set because the actual interior of Curtis' home—a converted chapel—was actually quite grand, boasting a courtyard garden and a 1,000-square-foot reception room. And minus some exterior shots, most of the movie was shot on a meticulously built set about an hour away from the actual Notting Hill.

A Novel Idea

The Travel Book Co. doesn't actually exist at 142 Portobello Road as it does in the film, but it's there in spirit. When the film was shot, Nicholls Antique Arcade was in the spot, and it was  succeeded by a furniture store called Gong. Now, Notting Hill Gift Shop is there, identifiable by its big blue awning—and a sign reading The Travel Book Shop.

Because they  know that's why you're buying a keychain there.

Awning Inspiration

A store called The Travel Bookshop did exist for years on Blenheim Crescent around the corner, according to TripSavvy  (which has mapped out a whole Notting Hill walking tour). It closed in 2011 but The Notting Hill Bookshop stands there today.

They probably  do have some Dickens, or the new John Grisham.

Stock Footage

Some of the scenes of Anna walking red carpets, flashing her famous smile at the cameras and attending award shows is real Julia Roberts footage "from years gone by," she shared with E! News in 1999, as well as footage shot at the 1998 BAFTA Awards, which in real life she attended with her  My Best Friend's Wedding  co-star Rupert Everett .

Overall, the scenes that illustrate what a huge star her character is are a "hodgepodge" of her life and Anna's, Roberts said.

What was  not real, Roberts was thankful for, was the scene in which Anna opens the door of Will's flat to countless paparazzi snapping away—surrounded by, in what Grant called a "Fellini moment," dozens of actual paparazzi photographing the fake photographers.

"It's always fun if you can exaggerate a situation, thank goodness," Roberts said. "I've never opened a door and seen 500 people...so yeah, it's certainly enjoyable."

Curtis found the opening montage largely lifted from Roberts' actual movie-star life more startling: "We said, 'F--k!  That's  who we're dealing with,'" he told  Vanity Fair   in 1999. "It's very easy when you're dealing with a very reasonable, lovely, relaxed, 30-year-old woman to forget that that's also the Julia Roberts who, for 10 years beforehand, you could never have gotten within a hundred yards of. It was a freakish moment when we realized that the woman we were dealing with was actually both those things: this relaxed person and this untouchable, iconic object of which there are so many photographs."

Star-Crossed Lovers

Not only did Grant (and Everett, for that matter) audition to play the titular Bard in  Shakespeare in Love , which came out in 1998 and won the Oscar for Best Picture the following year, Roberts was attached to play Violet, opposite Daniel Day-Lewis —but he ultimately didn't sign on, so Roberts left.

All's well that ends well, at least. Gwyneth Paltrow won an Oscar and enjoyed sizzling chemistry with  Joseph Fiennes , and Roberts won her Oscar two years later, for  Erin Brockovich .

Shaky Suitor

Grant recalled his  Shakespeare in Love audition opposite Roberts to Vanity Fair : "I was a very, very unemployed, pathetic actor at the time. I remember being so intimidated by the fact that she was in the room that I got myself in a sort of kerfuffle and missed the chair when I sat down. I sat on the  arm  of the chair, then had that very awkward inner debate about whether to say, 'Actually, I've missed the chair,' or to pretend that I was really a slightly quirky sort of character who  always  sits on the arm."

When it came time to make Notting Hill , Grant still used the word "fear" to characterize how he initially felt, explaining, "I think the emotion you have when you first meet someone tends to linger with you. I was all ready to be scared, and I must say, the fear never quite left me."

An American in England

Roberts didn't go unaffected by the Hugh Grantness of it all, either, however.

"I was actually intimidated by Hugh and I think also being the only American in the movie," she told E! News. "Everybody just sounds smarter than you. English people can say the dumbest things and make it sound so charming and fabulously interesting, and once I was able to do that and just realize I'm the only nasally sounding Yank of the bunch, then I was able to sort of relax."

Not Starring Julia Roberts as Herself

"I'm just sort of drifting along in this quite cozy life in this curious backwater of London, and all of a sudden the most famous and beautiful film actress in the world walks into my shop… and romance ensues," Grant told E! News in 1999.

So...it sounds as though Roberts walked in.

Well, Roberts obviously saw the parallels, and it turns out she was surprised by how different she was from Anna.

"I think going into it I sort of thought, well, I'll know how to do this sort of thing, but the situations become quite specific," she told E! News. "And therefore, the choices that she makes are quite specific within that, and I didn't always agree with her choices—and I think because we share a career, I just sort of assumed that we'd make all the same choices.

"But we didn't . I had to really remove my own hubris, or judgment or whatever it is in order to play her honestly."

Roberts clarified what, exactly, bothered her about the character to  Vanity Fair : the fact that Anna had a tumultuous relationship with the media because, before she was famous, she had posed nude and the photos had gotten out.

"I didn't agree with what she did, first of all," Roberts told the magazine in 1999. "Didn't agree with how she got into this mess—I would never have been in that situation. Didn't agree with the way she was dealing with it...Didn't agree with the way she was reacting to it. Didn't agree with  any  of that stuff."

Richard Curtis, Actually

Roberts originally didn't have any interest in playing a movie star.

"How boring," she recalled telling her agent. "How tedious—what a  stupid  thing for me to do." 

It was only after she read Curtis' script—which she only read  because it was a script by  Four Weddings and a Funeral ,  Blackadder and  Spitting Image scribe—that she decided, " F--k,  I'm gonna do this movie."

Nonfiction Section

According to Grant, the movie is inspired by a true story!

"This is a story he won't admit to," the actor told E!, "but he's told me in a drunken moment. A friend of his, an ordinary, normal guy, was in Harrods one day and met a very famous woman, and ended up taking her back to his flat in Notting Hill—and all kinds of nonsense ensued. And they used to meet up, whenever she came to London their affair would reactivate itself—and that was the genesis of his script. But he's so scared of people finding out who this very famous person was that he won't tell anyone that story."

Whoopsie-Daisies

Will would have really hurt himself if he'd made it over the gate to sneak into the private Rosemead Gardens—apparently it's quite the drop to the other side. Instead, he stumbled, leading him to charmingly exclaim, "Whoopsie-daisies!" much to Anna's amusement.

Meanwhile, they couldn't have even waltzed in during the daytime: that particular garden is one of several in the area owned by an estate and maintained by local residents, who are the only ones with keys.

Perfect Nightmare

That's  The Newsroom 's Emily Mortimer playing "The Perfect Girl" (as she's credited) who goes out with Will after he Anna don't initially work out. And aside from the awkwardness of knowing your one scene amounts to your character being rejected, the actress showed up with hives, thanks to an allergic reaction from the fabric of a suit she had picked up in a thrift shop.

"It was a nightmare," Mortimer recalled on PeopleTV's  Couch Surfing in 2018. "Every time I got nervous— which you do when you're acting—I got hives and my face... well, one side of it you can still see is sort of chipmunk-like."

But surely Grant, with all his charming ways, eased the tension?

"No, no," Mortimer winced, "everybody was really embarrassed! It was very awkward. It was like, 'who is this girl who's come—she's just got one scene and she's making such a meal of it,' and nobody would talk to me. It was weird.  I  was weird, and I was also really shy and mortified."

Going Bananas

"She liked to throw fruit at me during takes, or just before takes, just to put me off," Grant revealed to E! News.

Roberts concurred. "I threw a lot of fruit at him, to the point where we became a fruitless environment."

Roberts apparently knew not to give it 110 percent during rehearsal, so as to remain fresh for the real deal, "whereas I'd be acting my little heart out, trying to impress the crew," Grant told E! News. So "when the cameras roll, she's great and I'm boring."

Star-Making Turn

Playing Will's unwashed slacker flatmate Spike was a breakthrough turn for Rhys Ifans , most notably when the Welsh actor happily flexes and shows off his "nice, firm buttocks" to the paparazzi waiting outside the front door for Anna.

But though Spike can't help but charm as well as amuse, Ifans apparently went quite method with the role.

Asked if it was true he didn't bathe or brush his teeth during filming, he told  Interview  in 2011 , "We were filming in Shepardston Studios, and I couldn't bear the journey all the way from London every day, so I got a tent and I camped in a campsite nearby. Every morning this big limo would come and pick me up at the campsite, to the utter bafflement of the campsite owner. He thought I was some kind of eccentric millionaire."

And, "I would bathe occasionally, when I remembered to."

Not helping was the fact that the sneakers the costume department found for him had a "smell that emanated from the dark depths" that "brought a tear to one's eye," he told E! News in 1999. "By the end of the day, the rest of the cast insisted that these trainers were taken away and cleansed—exorcised!"

But while he's got the air of the rogue about him, director Roger Michell (who before Notting Hill directed Ifans onstage in Under Milk Wood ) described him to the  Telegraph in 2006 as full of pleasant contradictions: "He's gawky, yet graceful. He's smelly and Welsh and yet he's handsome and winning." Certainly winning enough to work with Ifans again on the 2004 film  Enduring Love and direct him in a 2017 West End production of  Mood Music .

Ifans told the BBC in 2018 that he'd "rather throw a brick than sign a petition," but he found a happy medium: after being turned on to the cause after playing a homeless man in the one-man play Protest Song in 2013, he volunteered to be an ambassador for the Welsh charity Shelter Cymru , which aids the homeless.

Anything for Horse & Hound

London's posh Ritz Hotel very rarely allows filming inside its 5-star walls, but access was granted to be the setting for Anna's press junket, featuring Will pretending to be a reporter from  Horse & Hound .

Alas, there were no animals in Anna's new movie, set in space. Or in her next one, taking place on a submarine.

Familiar Face

Mischa Barton played "12-year-old Actress" in what wasn't her first movie ever, but the first of two in one year that millions of people saw.

The other?  The Sixth Sense , which came out that August. Barton is Kyra, the girl under the bed who scares the hell out of Haley Joel Osment .

"12-year-old Actress," meanwhile, was co-starring with Anna Scott in the big-budget sci-fi flick  Helix— her 22nd movie, as she told Will of  Horse & Hound .

Rarefied Air

Alec Baldwin has been in a trillion movies, including  Notting Hill , where he showed up briefly to play Anna's boyfriend Jeff (plot twist!), who shows up to surprise her in London but by the end of the movie, in absentia, is rumored to have quickly moved on—and "most rumors about Jeff turn out to be true."

"By the late '90s, I embarked on a string of leading and supporting roles that gained little attention," Baldwin recalled in his 2017 memoir  Nevertheless , "though each offered its own charms and gratifications."

Notting Hill 's big selling point? "Where, for just one day, on a set in London, I got to breathe the same air as the remarkable Julia Roberts."

The two were supposed to work together again on Ryan Murphy 's 2014 HBO movie  The Normal Heart , but Baldwin left the project. He can rest assured that Roberts is still a fan, though: In 2017 she said on EW Radio  that she had never hosted  Saturday Night Live because she was "too scared," but "I would do it with Alec, if we could be comedy partners just doing skits."

Beloved Co-Star

Sadly, Emma Chambers , who played Will's quirky sister Honey (seen here with Hugh Bonneville , the future Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey , playing oblivious stockbroker Bernie), died in 2018 at the age of 53.

Grant posted a rare personal tweet , writing, "Emma Chambers was a hilarious and very warm person and of course a brilliant actress. Very sad news."

James Dreyfus , who played the group's happily married friend Martin, tweeted , "RIP the wonderful and talented Emma Chambers. Unique,& unspeakably funny. Too young. Thoughts with her family."

Curtis, who also wrote for Chambers' other best-known role, Alice Tinker in the BBC sitcom  The Vicar of Dibley ,  told the  Telegraph , "We're obviously terribly sad. She really was a great, great comedy performer—and a very fine actress. And a tender, sweet, funny, unusual, loving human being. In my work she worked opposite Dawn French and Julia Roberts—and was more than the measure of the pair of them."

Film producer  J onathan Sothcott tweeted , "RIP the wonderful Emma Chambers - best known for The Vicar of Dibley but also stole every scene in Notting Hill. Only 53."

Julia Roberts' Least Favorite Line

Don't worry, the line that left a bad taste in the star's mouth was  not "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her."

That would be tragic, wouldn't it?

No, the one Roberts wasn't a fan of was when, still tucked in bed, Anna tells Will, quoting Rita Hayworth in 1946's  Gilda , "'They go to bed with Gilda, they wake up with me.'"

"I hate to say anything negative about what Richard wrote, because he's a genius, but I  hated  saying that line," she told Vanity Fair . "To me, it was nails on a chalkboard. I don't really believe  any  of that."

More to the Story?

Turns out we're not the only ones who wondered how it all turned out for Anna and Will.

"I'm going to talk to Julia about it sometime soon," Curtis  told the  Mirror in April 2019 about the possibility of getting the band back together, as he did for  Love, Actually  and  Four Weddings and a Funeral  mini-sequels, both for Britain's Red Nose Day, and both of which were rapturously received.

Roger Michell sounded more skeptical about the prospect, telling  Her in 2018 , "I just don't know what the story could possibly be. Are Will and Anna still living in Notting Hill with a load of grumpy teenagers running around? I just don't know. In love stories, you have to split up and then get back together again. If you did that with a middle-aged couple living in Notting Hill, it would feel contrived."

Roberts told  ET   in October 2018 that these days she would be more likely to play "the parents of the people that are rom-com-ing."

"There came a point in my career where people thought I had turned on romantic comedies, which I love...I love to be in them, I love to watch them. But sometimes, they just don't work at a certain point of life experience." It's not about age, per se, "it's just about what people know that you know."

Well,  we  know that we're here for it.

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My formative film: A love letter to Notting Hill

By Saoirse Brady

Article Summary

The year is 2020. The world is in lockdown and my mum and I are having a movie night . It’s her turn to choose the film; she picks Notting Hill. I scanned the movie description: “Bookshop owner Hugh Grant forms an unlikely romance with superstar actress Julia Roberts in this hit Richard Curtis romcom.” Cue an almighty eye-roll. Up until this point, I had no interest in romantic films. Kissing? Disgusting. Romance? Gross. Let’s stop messing around and watch Dumb and Dumber , a true masterpiece. Little did I know that over the course of the next two hours and four minutes, Notting Hill would change my life forever.

Firstly, it introduced me to the powerhouse that is Julia Roberts. Julia, if you are reading this, I don’t care about the age difference, I want you to play me in my biopic. Everything about her performance as Anna Scott, the tremendous-but-troubled actress, is perfect and it is a privilege to watch her love story with Hugh Grant’s Will Thacker unfold. The pair have incredible chemistry and while Grant’s performance is “surreal but nice,” it is Roberts who steals the show.

The film begins with a ‘meet-cute’ between Anna and Will, a travel bookshop owner. There isn’t an immediate spark but that soon changes and you will be rooting for them in no time.  But as with all of the best love stories, there are obstacles that must be overcome before they can live happily ever after: he comes from Notting Hill, and she comes from Beverly Hills! She is recognised by everyone while his own mother struggles to remember his name. Can they work it out and stay together? Watch it and find out.

The supporting cast is what truly makes this film special. Rather than being bumbling idiots, like the supporting characters often found in American rom-coms, Will’s friendship group are amazing in their own right – and they actually behave like real people with brains! The late Emma Chambers (of Vicar of Dibley fame) is especially hilarious as Will’s younger sister, Honey.

Released in 1999, Notting Hill also showcases the best of the late ’90s fashion. Who can forget Roberts’ iconic leather jacket, Chanel beret and black sunglasses look? Let’s bring back berets in 2024. The showstopper for me, however, is the pale blue suit she wears during the press conference scene. If anyone can find a look-alike, it’s mine.

The final star of this film is the soundtrack. Bill Withers ’ ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ plays during arguably the best scene of the entire film, in which we watch a heartbroken Will take a stroll through the Portobello Market while the seasons change. At the start of the scene, we see a pregnant lady browsing one of the market stalls, at the end of the scene she is holding her baby. We see Honey during the ‘honey’-moon phase of a relationship, then during a messy breakup. Not to be dramatic but it is a masterclass in cinema. An honourable mention goes to Al Green ’s ‘How Can You Mend a Broken Heart’ , which plays when Will experiences one of his many heartbreaks throughout the film.

For the haters out there, the film does raise some questions: how can Grant’s character afford to live in Notting Hill on the meagre wage of an independent bookshop owner? How does he effortlessly flit between Portobello Road and The Savoy? Does traffic not exist in this film? The answer is no: this is Richard Curtis’ London, a cleaner, less digested version of the city you know and love.

There are also issues concerning diversity: the main ensemble is completely white and, for a film so rooted in Notting Hill, there is no mention of the annual Notting Hill Carnival.

That said, I don’t watch this film for realism, I watch it for escapism, and it certainly does the trick. Notting Hill opened my eyes to the beauty of romance. To quote Ted Lasso, “I believe in communism. Rom-communism that is.” Admittedly, I have yet to experience a Notting Hill -esque romance first-hand but what are films for if not for living vicariously through them?

• 90s Classic
• Formative films
• Julia Roberts
• notting hill
• Richard Curtis

Saoirse Brady

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After sunset: Exploring Moscow’s late night art scene

All museums run by the Moscow Department of Culture are open until 21:00 on Thursdays and every third Sunday of the month the entrance is free. Many are open even later on the weekends.  

Garage Modern Art Centre

Established in 2008 by Darya Zhukova (oligarch Roman Abramovich’s girlfriend), this center is currently located in Gorky Park. Having hosted unique exhibitions by international art darlings Michel Gondry and Marina Abramovich, the new space will be inaugurated with shows by Russian Erik Bulatov alongside New York-based Rirkrit Tiravanija. Garage promotes the idea of modern art through exhibitions, supplemented by research and an archive of printed, photographic and video materials. It has a café and bookshop on the premises. Hours of operation:  Monday - Thursday  11:00–21:00, Friday- Sunday  11:00–22:00 Entrance fee: 100 – 300 rubles (1,5$-5$) http://garageccc.com/en

Post-industrial Vinzavod (which means wine factory) is Russia’s largest modern art center and its premises host the art galleries Regina, XL and Proun, but also designers’ studios, the art-cafés “Tsurtsum” and “Khitrye lyudi” (Sneaky People), fashion showrooms, unique souvenir shops and more.

The complex is located in seven industrial buildings that date back to the end of the 19 th  century, including a former wine factory, underground warehouses and laboratories. Since the museum is in the center, the originality of its location and its professionalism in organizing events have made this place one of the most popular art-galleries in Moscow and the country as a whole.

Hours of operation: 11:00–21:00 (some galleries close at  20:00 ); closed Mondays Entrance fee: free – 300 rubles (5$) http://www.winzavod.ru/eng/

'Krasny Oktyabr' (Red October)

Hours of operation: 11:00–21:00 (some galleries close at  8pm ) Entrance fee: 200 – 300 rubles (3$-5$) www.redok.ru  (in Russian) http://www.lumiere.ru/  (in Russian)

Bulgakov Theatre-Museum

Hours of operation:  Monday- hursday  13:00–23:00,  Friday-Saturday 13:00–01:00 Free entrance http://dombulgakova.ru/  (in Russian)

Multimedia Art Museum (MAMM)

In addition to classic Russian photography, MAMM makes sure to leave room for modern art. Those that have exhibited their works here include internationally renowned artists such as Rebecca Horn, Marc Quinn and Damien Hirst.

Hours of operation:  12:00  –  21:00; closed Mondays Entrance fee: 50 – 300 rubles (80 cents - 5$) http://mamm-mdf.ru/en/

Gallery 'Na Solyanke'

Hours of operation: Tuesday - Thursday 14:00–22:00, Friday 12:00-00:00, Saturday and  Sunday 12:00 - 22:00; closed Mondays Entrance fee:100 – 200 rubles (1,5$-3$) http://solgallery.ru/en/

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A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

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Moscow on the Hill

Moscow on the Hill has the most extensive vodka list in the city, with more than 100 labels from Russia, Poland, and Scandinavia.

by Steve Marsh

June 22, 2010

Back in the days before I could afford air-conditioning, I read somewhere that watching Dr. Zhivago was a cheap way to cool off during a humid July. This wishful tidbit of service journalism popped into my head recently while sitting at Moscow on the Hill ’s renovated bar.

This page is available to subscribers. Sign up to Daily Edit to get unlimited access .

Ice cold vodka can chill the blood better than even the frostiest of DVDs, I suppose, but MOTH’s delicious, heavy cuisine—snails, liver, sauerkraut dumplings, mushrooms in sauce—is anything but seasonal. This is what vodka is really for: getting through a Russian meal.

Of course, on this side of the Bering Strait, where you have vodka you have martinis. Some of the best in the city are served here, my favorite being Mikhail’s Martini: Stoli Vanil, coffee vodka, and amaretto. But drinking at MOTH is all about gulping, not sipping. It has the most extensive vodka list in the city, with more than 100 labels from Russia, Poland, and Scandinavia, plus its own house infusions (the horseradish is killer). But be careful, comrades: This place is not for dilettantes. Prices are $5 to $8 a shot, and they pile up fast.

371 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 651-291-1236, moscowonthehill.com

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